A Home for Inuyasha
by QueenKami
Summary: What will happen when a homeless Inuyasha gets caught sneaking into a rich Kagome's house to steal food? Rated T because I'm paranoid, but I did try to keep it kid friendly. :)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Inuyasha snuck into the kitchen as quietly as he could. He could smell the others in the other room, but there was no saying when one would get hungry and come in. He grabbed a paper plate from the pile and loaded it with as much food as he thought he could get away without anyone noticing. He took the plate and headed into the hall. He could have left right away, but he figured once the others had gotten some food, he could get some more without it being noticeable and he was hungry.

Inuyasha went into the first room he found and sat in a dark corner. He was pretty good at staying in the shadows and staying unnoticeable so he didn't worry about shutting the door behind him. As soon as he sat down Inuyasha started digging into the food on his plate. It was delicious. Even if he did get regular meals and wasn't always starving he thought this would have been some of the best food he'd ever had.

Inuyasha was so busy eating his food, enjoying every mouthful of it, that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He was startled when he heard footsteps right outside the door and he froze. " _Please don't come in here and see me_ ," he thought to himself. He had no such luck.

A girl entered the room he was in. She turned on the light, but was so focused on what she was doing, she didn't notice Inuyasha in the corner. She dug around looking for something for a few moments. When she found what she was looking for she stood up and turned around.

"Oh!" gasped the girl. "You startled me. I didn't see you there."

Inuyasha stared at the raven haired girl. " _What the heck is wrong with this girl? Some stranger is in your house, and you don't scream or run or anything? You just talk to them like you had wondered where they had run off to?"_

"You're Inuyasha right?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh we go to the same school. I've seen you around."

"Oh."

"Would you like to join my friends and I? It's probably going to be a lot more fun than sitting in here by yourself."

"What is wrong with you? Do you let strange people come into your house often? You're being really calm about the whole situation here."

"Well, I figure you're not REALLY a stranger. I mean I knew who you were, right? Plus, I've kind of wanted to meet you for a while now, so this is the perfect opportunity."

"You've wanted to meet me? Why?"

Kagome blushed. "Oh, well I've never met a hanyou before, and I think your dog ears are really cute. I figured if I met you and we became friends you might let me touch them sometime…"

"You're crazy."

"So, are you coming to join us or do I have to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing?"

"Fine I'll join you I guess."

"Yay! Oh and by the way, my name is Kagome."

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand and dragged him behind her to where her friends were. "Hey guys, do you all know Inuyasha? Inuyasha, this is Sango, Miroku, Rin, Koga and Ayame."

Everyone greeted Inuyasha and went straight back to the conversation they had been having. Inuyasha figured he would be forgotten about, and could just wait this thing out. That didn't happen though. The group (not just Kagome the WHOLE group) made sure he was included in the conversations. Every time he started to get too quiet one of the group members would pull him right back into the conversation.

When the conversation started to repeat itself Ayame suggested they watch a movie. After arguing about which movie to watch for a few minutes, they finally agreed on something. Kagome put the movie in, and they all sat down to watch. Ayame settled into Koga's side in a big oversized recliner. Miroku sat on the couch and Sango laid down with her head in his lap. That left Kagome and Inuyasha sitting next to each other on the loveseat.

About halfway through the movie Kagome fell asleep, and her head fell on Inuyasha's shoulder. It startled him for a moment, but he decided to let it stay there. After all, she had been so nice to him tonight.

When the movie ended Kagome woke up. She realized she had been sleeping on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Meh. It's no big deal."

Sango looked at the clock. "Oh wow, I didn't realize it was so late. Let's help clean up, and then we need to be leaving."

"Oh it's okay you guys," Kagome replied. "Inuyasha said he would stay and help me clean up." She gave Inuyasha a quick look to make sure he didn't protest. "You guys should go now. I want you to be safe. Just make sure you all text me when you get home so I know you're safe okay?"

"Okay, if you're sure," said Ayame. They all knew better than to try to argue with Kagome. They wouldn't win the argument. Besides the later it got, the more she'd worry about them driving home.

Kagome walked her friends to the door and said good night to them all. She watched as they all got into their cars and drove off. Then she turned to Inuyasha and said, "let's just clean up the food in the kitchen. The rest can wait until morning."

"Okay," answered Inuyasha wondering why she had told the others he had offered to help clean up. What was this girl up to?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I won't put a lot of A/Ns in my story, but I forgot to add a disclaimer.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha**

 **Chapter 2**

Inuyasha followed Kagome into the kitchen. They started to clean up the mess left behind. Kagome turned to Inuyasha while they were cleaning, I hope this isn't overstepping my boundaries, but do you have a place to sleep tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm assuming since you came in to get some food that means you don't have a steady home. Am I wrong?"

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I always find somewhere to spend the night."

"Listen, my mom is out of town. She went on a cruise. I really do hate spending the nights in the house by myself. It gets very lonely. We have a spare room. Would you stay here with me? At least until my mom comes home?"

"Really, you want to let someone you just met stay with you in your house? what if I was a rapist or a murderer?"

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. "But you're not. I can see it in your eyes. Please Inuyasha," Kagome begged. "I really would sleep better knowing someone else was in the house with me."

Inuyasha looked into Kagome's deep chocolate eyes. They were shining with unshed tears. One thing Inuyasha couldn't stand was a crying female. "Fine, but only until your mother comes home."

"Oh thank you!" Kagome threw her arms around Inuyasha.

Kagome and Inuyasha finished cleaning the kitchen. Then Kagome led Inuyasha upstairs. She showed him her room and the bathroom. Then she led him to the spare bedroom.

"Thank you again, Inuyasha." Kagome yawned. It's getting late. I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Good night Kagome."

Kagome walked to her room and got ready for bed. She pulled on some pajamas and hopped into bed. _I can't believe I asked him to stay with me! He probably thinks I'm totally crazy. I really couldn't help it though. There's something about him that makes me feel safe._ As she continued to think about Inuyasha she drifted off to sleep.

Inuyasha watched Kagome walk down the hall to her room. He went inside his room and looked around. There was a large bed on one side and a dresser on the other. He didn't have anything to change into, so Inuyasha laid down on the very comfortable looking bed. It was even nicer than it looked.

He stared up at the ceiling. _What is going on here? No one is ever nice to me. What could she possibly want from me? It's not like I have anything for her to want. I have almost nothing myself._ Inuyasha's mind continued to race until he finally fell asleep.

The next morning Kagome woke up feeling more refreshed than she had since her mom left for her cruise. She jumped out of bed and got ready for the day.

She went downstairs to the kitchen and pulled out all the ingredients for breakfast. Not knowing what kind of food Inuyasha liked she decided to make French toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage and bacon. Just as she finished cooking Inuyasha came down the stairs.

"Wow what is all this?"

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Plus, I didn't know what you liked, so I wanted to make sure there was something you'd eat. Grab a plate and pick what you want."

The two got their breakfasts and sat at the table. When Inuyasha took a bite he felt he had died and gone to heaven. Not only was this more food than he usually saw in a week, but it tasted delicious.

"So, did you have any plans for the day?" Kagome asked Inuyasha.

"Not really. I do need to do some homework. I guess if I'm going to be staying here I should go get my stuff." He gave Kagome an are-you-sure-you-want-me-to-stay-here look.

"Of course. Why don't you go get your stuff while I clean up? When you get back we can both work on our homework."

"Okay sure."

Inuyasha headed out and Kagome got to work cleaning up. She cleaned the dishes and straightened up from the get together last night. It didn't take her too long. She was just finishing up when Inuyasha came back in. He had his backpack and a small duffel bag.

Kagome looked at how little Inuyasha had. "Is that all you're bringing?"

"That's all I own."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Inuyasha just shrugged at her and went to go put his stuff in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Inuyasha and Kagome both sat in the dining room to work on the homework. They put on some background music and worked peacefully side by side. They didn't really need to talk. There was no awkwardness.

"ARGH!" Kagome muttered under her breath as she erased her paper so hard it almost tore.

"Problems?" Inuyasha asked as he raised one eyebrow.

"I can't get this stupid problem. Every time I think I'm starting to understand what to do, I get lost and have to start all over again."

"Do you mind if I have a look at it?"

"Are you any good at math?"

"I'm okay."

Kagome moved some books over so Inuyasha could come sit next to her.

"Okay start at the beginning and go through what you are doing step by step. Let's see if we can find out where you keep messing up."

Kagome sighed and started the problem over again. She explained what she was doing as she went along. When she got to the part she messed up on Inuyasha stopped her. He told her what she was doing wrong and taught her the right way to do the problem. He also explained why it was the right way and why hers kept getting her lost. When they finished that problem he had her do a couple more. By the time she was done with the row, she had gotten it. She wasn't making any more mistakes.

"Wow. You make it seem so easy. I have to be honest. It kind of makes me feel dumb."

Inuyasha smiled a half smile showing one of his fangs. "You should have seen me when I was first learning the concept. I got so frustrated I punched a tree. The people on the streets couldn't believe a 12-year-old kid could do that much damage."

"TWELVE?! You were TWELVE when you learned this? You must be a super genius."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Not really. I just decided really young that I was going to learn as much as I could. There's not a lot in my life I can control. I can't control how people look at me. I can't control not having a family or someone to let me into their home. So I took control of the things I could and one of those was my education. I would spend hours in the library reading books. I checked out as many as I could as often as I could. There was one librarian that was really nice. When she came across a book she thought I might enjoy she'd set it aside for me. Ms. Kikyo was her name. She even helped me figure things out when I was struggling." Inuyasha stopped talking. He couldn't believe he had told Kagome so much about himself.

Kagome smiled at him. "You know, I bet the others would love some help with their homework too. Maybe, if it's alright with you, we could have a study group sometime?"

"Uh, I guess." No one had ever asked for Inuyasha to help them before. This was still so new and strange for him.

When they both finished their homework and cleaned up Kagome made lunch for them. As she was getting everything together she realized she was starting to run low on some things. She asked Inuyasha if he wanted to go shopping with her, that way she could make sure she had food that he liked too. Inuyasha agreed. He was beginning to really like spending time with Kagome.

While they were out Kagome had an idea. "Hey Inuyasha, would you be upset if I gave you some new clothes? I noticed you didn't seem to have a lot and it makes me sad."

"No way, I'm not a charity case. I don't like accepting handouts. Besides, it's too hard to keep a lot of clothes when you never know where you're going to be from one day to the next."

"Well, what if it wasn't charity? What if it was payment for your tutoring me? If we continue to do our homework together, and you keep helping me when I get stuck it wouldn't be charity."

"It's still too hard to carry that much stuff around when constantly moving."

Kagome pouted. She didn't like to be told no, but he did make sense. She wasn't sure if her mom would let him continue to stay with them when she got back since they hadn't even been introduced yet. She was going to have to figure something out.

They did their grocery shopping and went back to Kagome's house. Inuyasha brought in all the groceries in one trip. Then he helped put everything away. When they finished Kagome's phone rang.

"Hey Kagome, what are you up to?" came Rin's voice.

"Not much. We just got back from grocery shopping"

"We? Who is we? I thought your mom wasn't going to be back for another couple weeks."

"Oh, she's not. Inuyasha is here with me. It was so late last night after we finished cleaning up that I insisted he stay in the guest room last night. Then he helped me with my homework. So I figured I'd feed him to thank him for all his help and realized I was running low on food, so we went to the store together."

"Oh, the gang all wanted to get together. We thought maybe we could go hang out at the park. We could all bring some food and have a barbeque while we're there. Inuyasha can come too if you want to come."

"That sounds like fun. Let me talk to him about it. I'll call you back in a little bit okay?"

"Yeah sure. See you."

Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Do you want to go to the park and hang out with the others? We'll have a barbeque while we're there."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Kagome, why didn't you tell them I'm staying here? Are you ashamed?"

"What?! No way. I didn't tell them because I figured if I told them it might bring up the fact that you're homeless. That's not for me to decide if they have a right to know. That's up to you to decide. If you want them to know, that's fine. But, I wasn't going to tell them anything personal like that without talking to you about it first. I have no problem telling them you're staying with me while my mom is gone."

"Really? Wow, that's very thoughtful of you. I guess you can tell them. I mean they should know I'm staying with you right? They would probably find out soon anyway. You guys do seem to spend a lot of time together."

"So, do you want to go to the park with us?"

"Yeah, it sounds like it might be fun. Your friends were pretty cool with me just showing up last night. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Kagome and Inuyasha headed out to meet up with her friends. Inuyasha wasn't ready to call them his friends yet. They seemed nice and all, but he didn't really know them. Maybe when he got to know them better he would look at them as friends.

The group spent the rest of the day doing whatever sounded fun. They played catch, Frisbee, basketball even tag. They laid down on some blankets and just chatted about nothing and everything. They laughed and just had fun in general.

When they started getting hungry they pulled out the food. There were hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, watermelon, salad and Ayame had brought brownies for dessert. Koga cooked the meat while everyone else got things set out.

They ate dinner while they talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. Inuyasha laughed out loud at Sango and Miroku. Miroku had been sitting next to Sango and had tried to get fresh with. She jumped up, called him a lecher and slapped him so hard he had a bright red handprint on his cheek.

After dinner had been eaten and everything was put away the girls decided they wanted to go play on the playground. It was starting to get late, so most of the younger kids in the park had gone home. The Sango and Ayame got on some swings and made Miroku and Koga push them. Rin and Kagome played on the teeter totter for a while.

Inuyasha lounged on the grass watching everyone playing around him. He was pretty content right now. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun. No one had called him a loser or pushed him away. In fact, everyone acted like he had always been a part of the group. This was definitely a new feeling for him, but he liked it.

As he was sitting on the ground Rin came and sat down next to him. "What's the matter? Don't you want to come join us? Did we do something wrong?"

"No, I was just sitting here thinking about how fun today has been. I've never really been accepted by anyone before. It does make me wonder why everyone just accepted me, and didn't question why I was around all of the sudden."

Rin laughed. "We're used to it."

Inuyasha gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"As you spend more time with us you'll realize there's something special about Kagome. It's kind of hard to explain. She seems to sense when someone needs a friend… needs _her_. Sometimes it's because someone is having a rough day and they just need some friends to help them feel happier. Sometimes a best friend has moved away. I've seen people who have just broken up with their significant other. Whatever it is, we've learned to trust Kagome's judgement. So when someone new comes along we make them part of the group until they don't need her anymore and move on."

"Do they always move on?" Inuyasha seemed kind of sad about that thought.

"No, sometimes they stay and become a part of the group. Usually when that happens it's bigger than a broken heart. Like me for example. When Kagome first befriended me I had just lost my older brother. My parents were both already dead, my older brother was the one who was caring for me. He went out one day, and never came back. She not only gave me friends to care for me, but she helped me find somewhere to stay until I graduate. I will always be a part of this group because they helped me out during the toughest part of my life. I love them all, and I know they love me too."

Inuyasha sat listening to Rin and wondering what else had happened to everyone. He also wondered why she had befriended him now. His situation wasn't a new one. He didn't have anything new and heartbreaking happen to him. He'd been living life like he had for the last 10 years, since his mother had died.

Rin got up on her feet. "I think we've had enough moping around. Come on. Let's go join everyone else." Inuyasha got up and followed her to the fun.

 **A/N I know that's not RIN's real story... but I decided for this story, it was a better fit for Rin.**

 **Feel free to let me know how I'm doing.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The group played on the playground until almost midnight. Finally, Kagome collapsed on the ground and moaned, "I don't think I have any more energy left. It's time to call it a night."

"Oh good," said Sango. "I didn't want to be the first one to call it a night. Now that you've said it I don't have to feel bad for admitting I'm tired."

"Me too!" chimed in several voices.

Miroku turned to Inuyasha, "where do you live? One of us can give you a ride if it's closer than Kagome's."

Kagome spoke up, "that's okay Miroku. Inuyasha is actually staying with me until my mom comes home."

"Oh, okay. Then I guess that means we'll see you both later!" Everyone said good night and went their separate ways.

When they got to the car Inuyasha saw Kagome yawning. "Do you want me to drive? I'm not sure you'll last until we get back to the house," he smirked.

Kagome handed him the keys. "You're probably right," she sighed.

Inuyasha got in the driver's seat while Kagome climbed in beside him. He took off and headed to Kagome's house. He was right about her no lasting until she got home. Within a couple minutes her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply.

He pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. Kagome looked so peaceful, he really didn't want to wake her up. So, he got out of the car went around to her side. He opened it up and swept Kagome into his arms. He carried Kagome into the house and to her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and turned around and closed the door.

Inuyasha got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. He smiled to himself as he laid in bed thinking of how different this weekend could have been. He was starting to think about Kagome and her friends as his friends too. He hoped they would be friends for a long time. He enjoyed spending time with all of them.

Just as Inuyasha was starting to fall asleep he heard a scream coming from Kagome's room. He bolted up out of bed. His ears were perked up listening for any other sounds coming from the house. His nose was sniffing for any scents that might clue him in as to what was wrong. He couldn't hear or smell anything out of the ordinary.

He raced to Kagome's room and switched the light on. "What's wrong!?" he yelled.

Kagome was sitting up in bed tears pouring down her face. Inuyasha went over to her and sat down on her bed. He took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Kagome you need to calm down and tell me what happened so I can help you. Was there someone in here?"

Kagome shook her head and took a deep breath trying to calm down enough to talk to him. After a few more deep breaths she was able to talk. "It was a dream. I'm so sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I should have warned you. Ever since my dad was killed coming home late one night from work, I've had bad dreams. It's not as bad now, but every once in a while I have another one. It's why I hate being alone at night."

Inuyasha held her in his arms as he stroked her hair. "It's okay Kagome, I'm just glad you're not hurt. You really had me worried for a minute there."

"Will you sit with me in here until I fall back to sleep? I'll be okay once I fall asleep."

"Yeah, sure." Inuyasha let Kagome snuggle against him as he continued to stroke her hair. Soon her eyes started to close. He laid her back down on her pillow and carefully got off the bed, making sure not to jostle her.

When he reached the door, Kagome called his name.

"Inuyasha?" she mumbled.

"Yeah, Kagome?"

"Thank you for being here."

"Sure thing. Now go to sleep."

"Okay," Kagome sighed and was instantly asleep.

Inuyasha smiled to himself and walked back to his room. He climbed into the bed and tried to go to sleep. It took him a while before his heart had calmed down enough to let him sleep. He had never felt such a carnal need to protect before, of course he had never had a friend before either.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Inuyasha woke the next morning to the memories of the night before. He decided he wanted to do something nice for Kagome. He couldn't detect any noises from Kagome meaning she was still sleeping. He decided it was his turn to make breakfast for her.

He got dressed for the day, and went down to the kitchen. He wasn't nearly as good a cook as Kagome was, but he hoped she'd appreciate the gesture. He decided to stick with something simple like scrambled eggs and toast.

Kagome woke up to the smell of slightly burned toast and eggs. She smiled to herself, glad that she hadn't scared Inuyasha off. She got dressed and walked into the kitchen only slightly embarrassed about the night before.

"Good morning Inuyasha. This looks delicious. Thank you for making me breakfast."

"Heh, I just woke up earlier than you and was hungry is all. It's not a big deal."

The two sat down to eat. The food wasn't as good as Kagome's, but it was still edible and even kind of good. Inuyasha was quietly pleased with himself.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" inquired Inuyasha.

"Well, I usually do a thorough clean of the house on Sundays. Dusting, Vacuuming, Wash windows and things like that. I've learned that if I pick up throughout the week, and deep clean on the weekends it never gets really messy."

"Okay, then I'll help you."

"Oh no. I can't ask you to help me clean. You're a guest in my house. It was bad enough I didn't wake up early enough to have breakfast ready for you when you woke up."

"Kagome, I WANT to help, and I'm not going to take no for an answer."

Kagome looked into Inuyasha's deep golden eyes and knew there was no point in arguing with him. "Fine," she relented, "but you can't laugh at me while we're cleaning."

Inuyasha shrugged no knowing what Kagome was talking about.

They finished their breakfast, and Kagome got out the cleaning supplies. Her house had a sound system set up so she could put on her IPod and it would play throughout the whole house. She set it up to her cleaning playlist and got busy.

Soon she was dancing around as she dusted. Every once in a while Kagome would start to sing along to the song. She'd use whatever was in her hand at the moment as a microphone. Inuyasha kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was very careful about not laughing at her. He couldn't keep the smile off his face, though. He admired how happy and carefree she seemed to be.

By the time they had finished the downstairs Inuyasha was hungry again. He was glad when Kagome told him they'd eat lunch before they tackled the upstairs. They had a simple lunch of sandwiches and chips. Then it was back to work.

The upstairs rooms went along the same way as the downstairs rooms. Kagome danced and sang along to the music and Inuyasha watched her. By the time they had finished cleaning the house Inuyasha was exhausted.

"How would you feel about ordering a pizza and watching a movie tonight? I think I'm too tired to cook."

"You mean you're not going to get together with your friends tonight?"

"No, we don't usually get together on Sundays. Sango has to take care of her brother. Miroku won't stay away from her for a whole day, and so he goes over to her house. Ayame and Koga have date night every Sunday. And Rin has to work."

"Okay, pizza and a movie it is."

Kagome ordered the pizza and picked out a movie she thought Inuyasha might enjoy. They got some blankets and pillows out of the closet to make things more comfortable. They popped some popcorn and were ready to go when the pizza got there.

They watched the movie and then watched another one. Neither one of them made it through the second movie. Kagome fell asleep on the couch and Inuyasha fell asleep in the recliner. Neither one woke until the sun hit their eyes through the window the next morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next morning, they got up, got dressed, and ate bowls of cereal for breakfast. Kagome made them lunches while Inuyasha put away the blankets and pillows from last night. They grabbed their backpacks, and went to school.

Inuyasha stayed with Kagome while she met up with the others from the group. They all hung out together before it was time to go to classes. When the bell rang signaling they had 5 minutes to get to their classes they went their separate ways.

As Inuyasha walked away from Kagome he felt someone slip into step next to him. He looked over and saw Sango. She had her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her brown eyes were looking at Inuyasha earnestly. When they got to his class room she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I wanted a chance to tell you thank you for taking care of Kagome," she said. "She's my best friend, and I hated knowing she was staying by herself in that big house of hers. I wanted to do something for her, but I couldn't leave my brother Kohaku. I'm all that he has left. I know Rin told you her story. I want to tell you mine. I want you to know why Kagome has such a special place in my heart.

Two years ago my parents were killed in a car crash. Kohaku was with them. Both my parents died. Kohaku was sick for quite a while. I didn't know if he was going to survive or not. We had some money from my parents, but it wasn't a lot. It just barely covered the cost of the funerals and Kohaku's medical bills. Luckily the house was already paid for, but I knew we'd need money for bills and food. I found as many odd jobs as I could. I tried my best to keep us going. I didn't want to lose my brother because I couldn't afford to take care of him.

One day Kagome came up to me and asked if I knew anyone that was good at cleaning. She said her mother was looking for a new janitor at her office building. I jumped at the chance to have a steady job. The hours were decent, and the pay was enough to keep Kohaku and I together. I later learned she had gotten her mom to open the position just for me. She knew I was struggling and wanted to help me stay with my brother.

She also decided I needed some 'me time' on the weekends. She found a small weekend group for my brother to go to on the weekends. It's an overnight group so I can have some time to spend with my friends, catch up on my homework, or get some extra hours in at work if I need to.

She has done so much to help me. I know I can never truly repay her, but she will always be my best friend. So, again, thank you for taking care of Kagome when I couldn't."

Inuyasha didn't know what to say. Luckily he didn't have to come up with anything because at that moment the bell rang signaling the start of classes. He went into his class and thought about what Sango had told him. He liked Kagome more and more each day. She had a beautiful soul.

Inuyasha sat in his classes watching the clock tick slowly closer and closer to lunch. He was hungry, sure. Even more than that he wanted to spend time with the special girl that had come into his life so suddenly, and come to mean so much to him in such a short time.

When the bell finally rang to signal the beginning of lunch he was the first one out of his seat. He jumped up and nearly ran out of his classroom. Before he had taken more than two steps out the door he was pushed up against the wall. He looked at the arm on his shirt. It was attached to Koga the wolf demon. "Just what do you think you're doing wolf-cub?" he snarled.

"Listen Mutt-face, I'm telling you right now if you so much as let a mosquito hurt Kagome while you're with her you're going to have to answer to me!" Koga's steely blue eyes were glaring at Inuyasha.

Before Inuyasha had a chance to reply Koga's girlfriend Ayame was there. Her red pigtails flying behind her as she came up to her boyfriend. "Knock it off Koga," she commanded her green eyes flashing. She turned to Inuyasha. "Sorry about that. He gets a little over protective of Kagome sometimes. She was the one that helped him move on when the rest of his wolf demon tribe was found dead. She's also the one who got the two of us together since I'm also from a wolf demon tribe. She thought we'd be a great match, and she was right!"

Ayame gave a playful tug on Koga's ponytail. "Come on Koga, let's get to lunch I'm starving. Coming Inuyasha?" She took off towards the lunch room with Koga and Inuyasha right behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Inuyasha followed the two wolf demons slightly amused. Ayame sure had her hands full with that hot tempered boyfriend of hers. She didn't even seem to get jealous over his protectiveness about Kagome. That girl definitely had a strong impact on her friends.

He sat down next to Kagome in the lunch room. She smiled as he sat down and his heart fluttered a little bit. Their table was loud and boisterous. Usually Inuyasha would have stayed well away from any kind of activity that would draw attention to himself, but he was laughing right along with everyone else.

As lunch ended Miroku came up to Inuyasha, a bright red handprint on his face and a furious Sango glaring after him.

"You know if you didn't try to get fresh with her, she wouldn't slap you all the time."

"That may be true, my friend, but then how else would I know she loves me?"

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at the lecher.

"Sango told me she told you about her life, and I heard about the confrontation with Koga in the hall. I'm guessing I'm the last of the group to explain my story to you. So here it goes. When Kagome found me I had just watched my dad die. He got sick with a rare disease that slowly ate away at his body. My uncle has been raising me since. You don't have to say anything. I just figured you should know everyone's story, and since we have an unspoken rule that people only tell their own story I figured you should know. You are one of us after all." Miroku gave a cheerful wave and walked off towards his class.

After school he and Kagome met up by her locker. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Actually, remember how we talked about forming a study group? Well I talked to the others about the idea, and they were really interested. We were all hoping that we could start right away. Are you still okay with that?"

Inuyasha gave a half smile, "yeah that's fine by me. Where are we going to go? Your house?"

"Actually, we decided it would be easier to go to Sango's house. It's smaller, but that way she's there when Kohaku gets home. Otherwise she'd have to leave before she gets anything really done."

"Okay. Let's go."

They drove to Sango's house and met the rest of the group there. They all went into the house and spread out their homework. They worked on their homework together in a companionable quiet. It wasn't silent because they still talked, but it wasn't as noisy as they usually got. There was serious study going on. Every once in a while someone would ask Inuyasha a question about their homework. He would go over and help them with whatever they were working on.

About an hour later a boy came into the house. Sango jumped up. "Kohaku, you're home. How was your day at school? Are you hungry? There are some snacks in the kitchen."

"Hey Sango. School was fine. I'm a little hungry. Why is everyone here, and who's the new boy?"

"This is Inuyasha, he's a new friend of ours. He's really smart and has agreed to help us with our studies. So, we're going to have study groups here from now on. Okay?"

"Yeah sure. I'm going to go get a snack and work on my homework in my room." He smiled at everyone. "See you all later." He turned and walked out of the room.

Everyone got back to studying and soon they had all finished their homework. Everyone thanked Inuyasha for helping them out, and making sure he knew if it hadn't been for his help they would be working on their homework well into the night. Then they left and went their separate ways.

When Inuyasha and Kagome got home they put their stuff away and Kagome got to work on dinner. Inuyasha watched for a little bit, then decided to ask if Kagome would like some help. She agreed, and set him to chopping some vegetables. They cooked, ate and cleaned up dinner side by side. Then they went into their separate rooms to get ready for the night and get some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Kagome hadn't had any more nightmares after that one. In fact, she was feeling safer than she could ever remember feeling before. The days flew by. The two friends settled into an easy routine of school and homework. They ate all their meals together like a family. Their weekends were filled with friends and cleaning.

Before they realized, it was the last weekend they would spend together. Kagome's mom was scheduled to come home Monday while Kagome was at school. Kagome was really sad. She didn't want Inuyasha to have to leave her. Besides, she hadn't figured out where he would stay when he did leave. There was no way she was letting him go back to his old life of not knowing where he was going to sleep from day to day, or what he was going to eat.

While the friends were hanging out on Saturday, her friend took her arm. "Come take a walk with me," Sango requested while taking Kagome's arm. "You guys stay here," she called back to her friends I need to talk with Kagome for a while."

Sango and Kagome walked off arm in arm. When they got far enough away Sango stopped Kagome. "Time to spill. What has got the ever cheerful Kagome Higurashi so down in the dumps?"

"Sango, I'm at a loss. My mom comes home in two days and Inuyasha only promised to stay with me until she got back. I know he's uncomfortable around most humans, especially adults. There's no way I can talk him into staying even after she gets back. He's already informed me that's not happening. But I can't let him go back to living on the streets either. What am I going to do?"

"Oh silly Kagome, that's simple. We're going to go back to the group and we're going to figure it out together. You do realize that we all care about Inuyasha too? We're not going to let him go back on the streets either."

The friends hugged and walked back to their friends. When they got there Sango told everyone the party was going to Kagome's house. She waited for someone to argue with her, her eyes flashing dangerously. Luckily, they all knew not to mess with Sango when she was serious like this.

The friends gathered in Kagome's living room and looked at Sango. "Want to tell us what's going on?" asked Miroku.

"We have a problem. Kagome's mother is coming home Monday, and Inuyasha has refused to stay with Kagome after she gets home." She shot the offending boy an accusing look. "However, we are _not_ going to let him go back to wandering the streets."

Inuyasha spoke up, "You guys really don't …"

"Don't you dare tell us not to worry about you," Ayame cut him off.

"But…"

"No buts, mutt face. You heard the girls, we are not going to let things go back to the way they were," growled Koga

"I could ask my uncle if you could stay with us for a while," offered Miroku.

"That's a negative. Inuyasha isn't comfortable around adults remember," Rin argued.

"Well that leaves out Miroku and Kagome's place. Ayame and Koga are both out because they already have roommates. Rin is out because her place is a studio, and way too small. That leaves my place. You can have Kohaku's room. He and I will share."

"No way, I'm not doing that to you or Kohaku. You deserve to have your own rooms."

"I don't mind Inuyasha, and I know Kohaku won't mind either."

"I told you, it's not happening. So get over it already."

"Don't be stubborn! It's the best option we have."

Rin cut in, "stop arguing you two. I think I have a solution." All eyes turned to her. "What if Inuyasha stayed in the tree house? There wouldn't be any adults around. No one would have to be kicked out of their rooms. He would have a permanent place to stay. It's actually very comfortable and stable. It has the hot spring nearby. Plus, it's not that far away."

"Rin, that's perfect!" Kagome cried. "Let's go look at it and see if any repairs or cleaning are needed!"

The friends walked behind Kagome's house into the forest. It really wasn't far away at all. After an easy fifteen minute walk they reached the treehouse. It definitely wasn't what Inuyasha was expecting. It didn't really look like any treehouse he had seen. It was more It was up in a huge tree. There were stairs leading up to the house.

The inside looked huge. There were cupboards built into the walls for holding plates, cups and food. There was a comfortable looking mattress on the floor against one wall. There was a card table and folding chairs set up for a dinner table. And all around were scattered pillows and beanbag chairs to make it comfortable.

"It needs a little cleaning, but it's still in really good shape. We'll just need to get a few things like blankets and food and it will be perfect! Don't you think Inuyasha?" Kagome smiled at him.

"Yeah, this is great." Inuyasha couldn't believe he was going to have a place of his own. Even if it was a treehouse. It was perfect. How had his life changed so completely in such a short time?


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The group went back to Kagome's to get some cleaning supplies a tools. There were only a few loose bored that needed to be fixed. Then the girls sent the boys back to get started. The boys argued until the girls mentioned shopping. None of them wanted to be put through that torture.

The girls headed out to the local super center. They had a lot of shopping to do. They needed to get food, basic cleaning supplies, blankets, outdoor cooking pots and pans, and clothes. Now that Inuyasha had a permanent place to stay, there was no way she was going to not buy him some clothes.

The group of girls packed two carts to overflowing before they were satisfied they had everything they needed. They fit everything into the back of Kagome's car and went back to see if the boys needed any more help.

The boys had finished and were bringing everything back to Kagome's when the girls pulled up. "Oh goody," claimed Ayame. "You boys can help us take everything to the treehouse and we can get everything put away."

"You've got to be kidding me," cried Koga. "First you make us do all the cleaning and fixing, now you want us to carry the bags for you. We're not your servants you know!"

"Now, now, Koga. Carrying a couple bags for these fine ladies isn't going to be the end of us," said Miroku.

Kagome opened the trunk to the car and the boys gasped. "Couple of bags my butt," muttered Koga. "what did you do? Buy out the whole store?"

"Of course not. We just got the essentials that Inuyasha will need to be comfortable."

The boys grabbed all the bags. Luckily Inuyasha and Koga were able to grab most everything themselves so there wouldn't have to be more than the one trip. They walked back into the tree house set things down.

"I don't think we need to go through all this just yet," Kagome said. "We didn't get any perishables because Inuyasha's not going to be staying here until Monday. We can pick up some things before we come home Monday. You boys have worked really hard so we are treating you to dinner."

The boys left the bags in the middle of the floor. No one was worried about anyone coming in and taking anything. It was private property, and no one ever came this way. Animals weren't a problem either because all the windows had screens on them and the door shut nice and tight.

The group got cleaned up and went to a buffet for dinner. They sat and chatted while they ate well until the night. Kagome was glad she had chosen a buffet for dinner. She was sure the boys had some kind of competition going for who could eat the most food before they exploded. After dinner everyone went their separate ways. It was too late to really doing anything, and besides they were all tired from all the hard work (or shopping) they did that day.

Inuyasha drove Kagome back home. He was quiet the whole way back. In fact, he had been quieter than he usually was. Kagome worried that Inuyasha was mad at her for forcing him into a situation he didn't really want to be in.

When they got inside she turned to Inuyasha and opened her mouth to start apologizing, but he beat her to it. "Thank you Kagome," he whispered. "I don't know how to express my gratitude to you for being my friend." He pulled her into him and hugged her to his chest. She didn't push him away.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Inuyasha looked around the room one more time. There was nothing left behind that gave away the fact that he had spent the last two weeks living there. His few belongings he'd brought with him were packed in the duffel bag. He picked up the duffel bag and his backpack and left the room.

If he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to really leave. This was the first place that had felt like home to him since his mom had died. He couldn't be too upset though. He had a new place of his own, even if it didn't have electricity or running water.

Kagome looked up at him when he came in to the kitchen. "You have everything?" Her eyes sparkled with tears she wouldn't cry. She was going to miss his constant companionship. Sure, they would see each other constantly. They'd still go to school together, and they were still planning on having their study groups. It wasn't the same though.

"Yeah. Let's go."

School rushed by too fast. One minute it was first period, the next it was lunch time. Then it was time to go home. Kagome was torn. She wanted to see her mother. She missed her, but she didn't want to leave Inuyasha in his treehouse alone either.

Kagome drove herself and Inuyasha back to her house. The group had decided to cancel the study group for the day so Kagome could see her mom and Inuyasha could get settled in. He still had to go through all the bags of things Kagome had bought for him because she wouldn't skip a weekend cleaning her house, and he wasn't willing to leave her while he sorted through the bags. He wanted to spend it with her.

Inuyasha left Kagome by the car and took off for the treehouse. He had to get away before she saw his wet eyes. Inuyasha didn't cry! He wouldn't let her know how much he cared for her.

Kagome watched Inuyasha take off, then pasted a smile on her face and walked into her house. "Mom, I'm home!" she called out.

"Kagome! Oh how I've missed you!" Her mother came down the stairs smiling at her daughter. "How have you been? How's school? Did anything happen while I was away?" She gave her daughter a big hug.

"I've missed you too, mom. I've been good. School's good. I made a new friend. His name is Inuyasha, he's a senior like me. He's really smart though. In fact, we've started a study group after school. The gang all meets up after school at Sango's house, and we do our homework. Inuyasha helps us whenever we need it. How was your trip?"

"Oh it was wonderful. We went to so many places, and saw so many things! I have a ton of pictures to show you!"

"That's wonderful mom. You look so happy. I'm glad you decided to take the time and go." Kagome stared at her mom. She really hadn't seen her mom this happy since her dad died. Her mom was so happy she seemed to glow.

"Me too. Kagome honey, I have the best news for you. I met a man while I was on the trip." She stuck her left hand in Kagome's face. "I got married!"

Kagome looked at the ring sparkling on her mother's finger. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. It was huge. But, how could her mom get married without telling Kagome? Without even introducing her to the guy? Kagome's eyes prickled. She held the tears back so she wouldn't ruin her mother's euphoria. "That's great mom," she managed to squeak out. "When do I get to meet the guy?"

"He'll be here tonight for dinner. I wanted the chance to tell you in person."

"Thanks. Umm is it okay if I go for a walk? That's a lot to take in, and I need to clear my head if that's okay with you."

"Sure dear, be back by 6:00 so you can get cleaned up before Mr. O. gets here." Her mother twirled away and went upstairs back to whatever she was doing before Kagome came in.

Kagome hurried out the door and headed straight for the treehouse. She couldn't believe her mom could do this to her! This wasn't like her. She wasn't an impulsive person.

Inuyasha heard her coming and went outside. "Listen Kagome, I told you I wasn't a charity case and I didn't need any new clothes, so just take them back to the store and get your money back," he called to her before she had made it to the tree.

Kagome sat down on the stairs and broke down into sobs.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't realize clothes meant that much to you. I'll keep them I promise. You can buy me all the clothes you want. Just don't cry please." He came and sat next to Kagome, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I… I'm not… not crying be… because of your stu… stupid clothes," she sobbed.

"Well than what's the matter?"

Kagome shook her head and cried even harder. She turned her head towards Inuyasha's shoulder and buried her head in him. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. He ran his fingers through her hair as she cried. Eventually she was able to calm down enough to talk to Inuyasha.

"My mom got remarried while she was on her trip. She didn't give me any hints or anything."

"And you don't like the guy?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't even KNOW the guy. She met him while she was on the trip. I know I should be happy for her. I am in a way. I haven't seen her this happy since my dad died. It was just a shock."

Inuyasha held Kagome and let her talk. She didn't seem to need any replies. She just needed to get this off her chest.

Kagome jumped up. "What time is it?"

"It's almost a quarter to 6:00."

"I have to go. I promised my mom I'd be home by 6:00. The guy is going to be here for dinner so I can meet him. Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder."

"Anytime Kagome. Be safe walking home. You can get the clothes tomorrow."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. "Oh no you don't. You're keeping the clothes. If I find any of them missing I'll go out and buy you a lot more, and I'll make sure their REALLY expensive."

"That's the smile I needed to see." Inuyasha gave Kagome one last hug and watched her walk back to the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Mom, I'm home," Kagome called out. She didn't pause as she went to her room. She didn't want her mom to know she had been crying. She had decided she would make sure this night went well, for her mom's sake.

"Okay. Make sure you put on something nice. We're going somewhere fancy. He'll be here at 7:00. That's all the information he gave me."

Kagome decided to shower before she got dressed. She hoped the water would wash away any lingering traces of tears. She figured if it didn't, she could claim soap had gotten in her eyes.

Kagome got dressed in a royal blue dress. The top was in a halter style; the bottom was draped in layers of chiffon. It was simple but elegant. She put on black wedge sandals that had beads running from the ankle strap to the toe strap. She put her hair up into a French braid and added just a touch of makeup to her face.

She finished getting ready just as her mom called up to her. "He's here. Come on down."

Kagome went downstairs and stood next to her mom. The doorbell rang and Kagome's mom answered the door. The man smiled and pulled his wife into a deep kiss. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," answered Mai. She turned to her daughter. "I would like you to meet my daughter Kagome."

The man turned to Kagome and help out his hand. "Call me Mr. O. I'm so glad to finally meet you. Your mother talked about you nonstop."

Kagome shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too."

The trio went out to Mr. O's car and got in. They drove for a while before they came to a restaurant Kagome had never been to before. They walked in and Mr. O. walked straight up to the hostess to get them to their table. They followed her to a private dining area and sat down. Kagome looked at the menu, but she couldn't read it. She wasn't even sure what language it was in.

"Why don't you just order for all of us, dear?" Mai asked her husband.

When the waitress came, Mr. O. ordered food for everyone. They sat and talked while they waited for the food to come out.

Kagome watched her mom and the strange man next to her. _My mom is so happy. She really looks like she's in love. He seems to love her too. I guess if there's that much love involved it can't be that bad. I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Not that I have any say in the matter. Of course, I don't know how much longer I can watch them. Watching them is starting to make me lose my appetite. I wish Inuyasha had been able to come. I hope he's okay in the treehouse._

Their food came and Kagome turned her attention away from the obviously adoring couple. She had some kind of pasta in front of her. She nibbled, and it was actually pretty good. She ate slowly so she could concentrate on her plate and not the puppy dog eyes, and little kisses going on next to her.

When they got home Kagome went straight up to her room. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and slipped into her pajamas. When she was ready for bed, she turned off her light and climbed into bed. She was so emotionally exhausted she fell asleep almost instantly. She did not notice the figure watching her through her window.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Tuesday morning Kagome woke up feeling refreshed. She was surprised she hadn't woken with a nightmare the night before. With all the stress of meeting her new step-father she was positive she would wake up screaming. She vaguely remembered the beginning of a nightmare, but it must not have fully developed.

She got dressed and went downstairs. She grabbed an apple from the fridge and grabbed her backpack. She decided to wait outside for Inuyasha. She closed the door and turned to find her friend waiting for her on the steps.

"How was your night last night?" he asked her. "How was your new step-father? Do you think you will get along?"

"Good morning, Inuyasha. My night was okay. Mr. O. seems nice enough. I'm sure we'll get along just fine." They walked to the car as they talked. Kagome waited until she was in the car to tell him about how she thought she was going to be sick if she had to watch the couple get any sweeter.

"Inuyasha changed the subject, "So how did you sleep? No nightmares? I know you were really stressed out when you left last night."

"No, no nightmares. Maybe I was just too tired to have one."

Inuyasha grinned to himself. He was glad Kagome was driving and not concentrating on him. He was sure he would see something in his face to give himself away.

Kagome and Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. They found all their friends before Kagome told them about the big news her mom had dropped on her the night before. She didn't want to have to go over the details 5 separate times.

Everyone was shocked, but reassured Kagome they'd be there for her if she needed them. The bell rang and they all went to their classes.

Inuyasha sat in his first class of the day. The teacher had a cold, and so put on a movie for the kids to watch. It was very boring and he found his mind drifting to the night before.

He had been worried about Kagome. He went to her house and sat in a tree waiting for her to get home. She got out of the car a little hurriedly and went straight to her room. He watched as she got ready for bed. He only turned away when she changed into her pajamas. He wasn't some kind of sick pervert.

He watched as she fell asleep almost immediately. He was glad he had decided to watch her because it was not long before she started thrashing in her sleep. He jumped from the tree he was in to her window. He quietly opened her window and let himself in. He climbed onto her bed, carefully not to wake her up, and started to brush his fingers through her silky hair.

As he stroked her hair, he whispered to her. He told her it would be okay and that he was there for her. She slowly started to calm down in her thrashing. Soon she was resting peacefully. When he was sure she'd be okay for the night he left back out the window and went back to his own little house.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The week passed by uneventfully. Kagome spent time getting to know Mr. O. He had told her he was retired, and wanted to spend time getting to know her. So when she got home from study groups they would talk, play games, or make dinner.

Kagome found she didn't hate the guy. He seemed nice, and she appreciated the fact that he was trying to get to know her. He never pushed her into accepting him as her father. He had told her no one could replace her dad, and he wasn't going to try.

When her mom came home, they would eat dinner together as a family. After dinner Kagome would excuse herself to go for a walk. Her mother normally would ask her where she was going every day, but she was too busy being in love to notice what was going on.

Kagome walked to Inuyasha's treehouse. She wondered if she was being a bother coming to visit him every night. When she'd mentioned her concerns to him, he'd just shrugged her off and told her he really didn't mind her company. She was glad. She enjoyed his company, and she didn't want to watch her mother making out with Mr. O.

Saturday morning, Kagome got out of bed and rubbed her eyes. She and her friends were going to spend the day planning Kohaku's birthday. Sango had saved some money on the side to give Kohaku a real birthday party this year. It wouldn't be huge, but it would be fun.

Everyone met at Sango's house and got comfortable. They tossed ideas back and forth about what they thought Kohaku would enjoy. They had all agreed to help with the party in whatever ways were needed.

Sango was going over the list of what needed to be done and who was going to be in charge of what when Kagome's phone rang.

"Hello?" Kagome asked as she stood up and walked away from the group signaling for them to continue, that she'd be right back.

"Is this Kagome Higurashi?" asked the voice on the other side.

"Yes, this is she."

"Kagome, it's Mr. O. I need you to come to the hospital right away. Your mother was in an accident. We're not sure if she's going to make it or not."

"I – I'll be right there." Kagome hung up the phone and turned to her friends. "Sango, I'm so sorry, I have to go. My mother was in an accident and is at the hospital. We're not sure if she's going to make it." Tears streamed down her face as she gathered her things to go.

"Come on everyone," Sango replied. "This can wait. Miroku, Koga and Ayame will come with me. Inuyasha you and Rin go with Kagome. And Inuyasha, you drive."

The friends piled into the two cars and raced towards the hospital. Kagome silently praying that her mother would be all right as Inuyasha raced to get Kagome to her mom.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Inuyasha into a parking stall. He threw his door open, jumped over the car to Kagome's door, threw her door open and gently picked her up. He threw the keys to Rin. "Lock the doors, and wait for the others. I'm going to get her inside. I'll be back to show everyone where to go."

He ran into the hospital carrying Kagome in his arms. He stopped at the front desk. "This is Kagome Higurashi. Her mother, Mai, was in an accident and brought here. Can you tell us where to go?"

The attendant looked at her computer. She typed in a few things to find the information she needed, then gave directions to the waiting room. Inuyasha found the waiting room, and left Kagome with Mr. O. He went back outside to meet everyone and show them where to go.

Kagome ran up to Mr. O. and wrapped her arms around his waist. "How's my mom?"

"We're not sure. She's in surgery right now. I'm waiting to hear the results."

"What happened?"

"She was hit by a car. From what I understand she was crossing the street, and a car was turning right. I guess the driver didn't see her, because they hit her. Must have been scared because he took off. Luckily someone saw her and called 911."

Kagome sobbed into his stomach. Mr. O. pattered her head and let her cry.

Inuyasha came back in leading the others. Kagome came over and explained to everyone what she knew. They all sat down in stunned silence to wait for any news. No one talked, but they all sat close to one another and leaned on each other for support.

After what felt like all day, but was really about 2 hours, a doctor came out. He came over to Kagome, and everyone gathered around to hear what he had to say.

"Your mother is out of surgery. We've been able to stop the bleeding, but she is still in critical condition. She's in a coma right now, and we're still not sure if she's going to pull through. We're keeping our best doctors and nurses on it."

"Thank you," murmured Kagome. "Can we see her?"

"I think it'd be best if only immediate family went in right now."

"Thank you." Kagome turned to her friends. "Thank you for coming with me. You guys don't have to stay. I'm going to go see my mom." Her eyes were downcast as she turned to follow the doctor to her mother's room.

Mr. O. thanked Kagome's friends for being there before he turned and followed Kagome.

The friends all looked at each other. Inuyasha spoke first. "If she thinks I'm just going to leave her here she's got another think coming. It's up to you guys what you want to do, I won't judge you. But, she's been there for me, and now it's my turn to be there for her." He sat down on a chair in a huff.

The rest of the group glanced at each other and smiled. They knew, without having to voice it, that they could leave Inuyasha here for Kagome. She'd be in safe hands. They patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave.

 **A/N**

 **My story is almost finished. However, I am going out of town for the weekend. I may not have a chance to update the story while I am gone. If not, never fear I will be back tomorrow night and I will update the story then.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Good news! My in-laws let me use their computer so I can update my story! Yay**

 **Chapter 16**

Kagome gasped when she came out of her mother's room several hours later and saw Inuyasha waiting for her. "What are you still doing here? I thought you went home already."

"I'm not leaving you here alone. Besides, I have your keys."

"Oh… yeah… right…"

"So, where were you going?"

"I was going to go grab something to eat. I'm not really hungry, but Mr. O. insisted we eat _something_."

"I'll go with you, come on."

They walked side by side in silence to the cafeteria. They ordered three salads, figuring they wouldn't be able to eat much more than that. The two friends ate together in the cafeteria, Inuyasha making sure Kagome ate more than just two bites of her food. When they finished they went to take Mr. O.'s food to him.

Inuyasha went with Kagome to the room. He spoke to Mr. O. when he looked up. "I'm assuming you want to stay here?"

Mr. O. nodded in agreeance.

"I'm going to take Kagome home. She needs a chance to get cleaned up, and she should sleep in her own bed tonight. There's really only space for one person to stay here. Would you like us to bring back anything when we come tomorrow morning?"

Mr. O. shook his head.

"Okay. If you change your mind, text Kagome. We'll be back tomorrow morning. Come on Kagome." He gently pulled her to the door.

Inuyasha drove to Kagome's house and walked her inside. "Go upstairs and get cleaned up. A shower will make you feel better. I'll make the couch up for you while you get ready for bed."

Kagome shot him a puzzled look.

"You can sleep in your bed tomorrow night if you need to, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to sleep in your room with you. So, you get the couch, and I'll sleep next to you on the floor."

Kagome ran up and gave Inuyasha a hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here to help me through this."

Inuyasha held her for a moment longer, then pushed her toward her room. "Go, I'll be right here waiting."

Kagome went upstairs and got some pajamas. She went into the bathroom and turned on the water. When it was the right temperature, she stepped in. The water was warm, and soothing. It really did make her feel a little better. She got out and changed into her pajamas and walked downstairs.

Inuyasha had made a bed for her on the couch, and a bed for himself on the floor next to it. He was sitting on the loveseat waiting for her. He patted the seat next to him. Kagome walked over and sat down. She curled herself into him as he placed his arms around her. She didn't cry, her tears were spent. He held her and stroked her hair, murmuring her words of encouragement until she fell asleep.

When he was sure she was asleep he picked her up and laid her on the couch. He tucked her in. He laid down on his own makeshift bed and let his eyes close.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kagome woke the next morning with her hand wrapped in Inuyasha's hand. He was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful sleeping next to her on the floor. She was sure he didn't have a peaceful night, because she didn't have a peaceful night. She remembered the start of several nightmares, but every time she started to thrash, Inuyasha was there. He took care of her the whole night.

Inuyasha's sensitive ears heard the change in Kagome's breathing from sleeping, to being awake. He slowly woke up, and realized he was holding her hand. He sat up and blinked.

"Hey," Kagome whispered.

"Hey. Are you feeling better? Did you get enough rest?"

"I'm feeling somewhat better. I think I got more sleep than you did. Thank you for taking care of me last night."

"It's no big deal."

Kagome sat up. "Why don't you run and get a change of clothes. You can shower and stuff here. I'll make some breakfast while you're gone. Then we can go back to visit my mom."

"Sure. I won't be long I promise."

Inuyasha left, and Kagome went to change before he got back. Then she went downstairs and started on breakfast. She decided to keep things easy, and made them omelets. They finished their food, and Inuyasha cleaned the dishes while Kagome made an omelet for her step-father.

When they finished, they packed into Kagome's car and took off for the hospital. When they got there, Inuyasha let Kagome go in alone. He told her he'd wait in the waiting room for her.

Kagome walked in and saw Her mother sleeping in her bed. Mr. O. was sitting in the recliner next to the bed. "I brought you something to eat." She set the plate in front of him. "Is there any change?"

"No, she's still the same. Thank you for the food. It smells wonderful."

Mr. O. ate the food Kagome had brought for him. They didn't talk. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the machines monitoring her mother's vital signs.

After a while he turned to Kagome. "I don't want this accident to upset your life. I still expect you to go to school, and go to your study group. Weren't you and your friends planning a party or something yesterday?"

"Yeah, Sango's little brother's birthday is coming up. We were planning a party for him. But, they can plan without me. I want to be with my mom."

"I know you do, but the doctors said she's probably going to be in a coma for a while. You should try to lead a normal life, meanwhile. I promise I will stay here with her. I'll keep you updated, and if there's any changes I'll text you so you can come right back. Your mom wouldn't want you to stop life because of her."

"You're right I guess. It's just so hard to leave her."

"I know, but we can't do anything for her right now. Go, I promise I'll let you know as soon as anything happens."

Kagome sighed. "Okay. I'll call Sango, and we can work on the party. You promise the SECOND there's a change you'll let me know?"

"I promise."

"Okay. I'll see you later then. I'll be back with tonight and I'll bring some dinner." She turned and walked out the door.

Inuyasha stood up when he saw her come out. "What's happening?"

"No changes. It could be a really long time before we know if she'll make it or not. Mr. O. and I talked and we decided he's going to stay with her. There's nothing to do, and my mom wouldn't want me to put my life on hold just to sit and stare at her. He promised he'd let me know if her condition changes at all."

"Are you sure you want to leave?"

"No, but he makes sense."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Kagome spent the next week going through the actions of living her life. She tried to smile and have fun with her friends, but they could tell her heart just wasn't in it. Her smiles didn't reach her eyes, which had a slightly deadened look to them. Her laughs seemed forced. She spent most of her time checking her phone for texts from her step-father.

Even though she was struggling, her friends were there for her every minute they could. She refused to let them take time off work, but other than that she was surrounded by her group of friends.

Inuyasha had spent Sunday night with Kagome again, in the front room. She didn't have as rough a night as she had on Saturday, but it still wasn't a great sleep. He would have spent the whole week with her, but by Monday the doctors had basically kicked Mr. O. out the doors at night. They told him that with there being no changes in her health he should go home and get rest. He was more than welcome to come back the next day, but he needed to spend the night in his own bed. They promised to call him if there were any changes in his wife.

Because Mr. O. was home at nights now, Inuyasha would sit in his tree and watch Kagome sleep. If she started to have a nightmare he'd sneak in her window and calm her down. As the week progressed she slept better and better.

Friday night, when Mr. O. came home for the night he called Kagome into the living room. "I think we need to talk about what to do in the worst case scenario," he told her.

"What do you mean? Has something changed? Is she getting worse?"

"No, there's no change, and that's what's worrying me. I thought by now she'd be getting better. I just don't know if I can stay here if something happens to her. I need to know what will happen with you if the worst happens. Do you know if your mom has a will?"

"Oh yeah. My mom and I talked about it after my dad died. I'm more than taken care of."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my mom told me that she and dad wanted to make sure I was taken care of if something ever happened to them. They put in their wills that if anything happened to one of them, their money and property would go to me. So, when my dad died I inherited his fortune. My mom got to be president of Higurashi Enterprises until I was ready to step in, and she has control of everything until I turn 18. But, she also told me that if something happens to her before then, I'll have full control of everything. That way I'm always taken care of."

"Wow, so the entire Higurashi family fortune is yours? I had no idea. Your mother never told me. I'm glad your parents decided to make sure you were taken care of. What would happen to the money if, Kami forbid, something happened to you?"

"Well, right now if something my mom doesn't make it, and something happened to me the company would go to my godmother, Kaede, who has been there in the business since the beginning. If something were to happen to me and my mom survives, then she would get everything."

"I guess your parents thought of everything."

"Well, Higurashi Enterprises is a big business, and so they figured they needed to make sure everything was in order just in case."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to call it a night. I can sleep now, knowing you're taken care of no matter what." He got up and turned to leave. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't. Good night."

 **A/N**

 **So, my first story is coming to a close soon. I am thinking of making a sequel to this story. I have some ideas for it, including major plot ideas, but if any of you have something you want to see in the sequel feel free to let me know. I probably won't get right to work on the sequel... It won't come out as fast as this one did. (I actually had this one all written out before I started posting it because I hate stories that never get finished.) I will probably start working on the sequel right after Christmas, when I have a break and nothing else to do. :) I also have a few ideas for some other stories. I'll see what comes to me as I dream.**

 **Before I go, I want to send a big thank you to Grapefruit Wannabe. Your review made me feel really great about my story. I haven't written anything for a long time, and this is my first fanfic ever!**

 **Also, a big thank you to all the people who have followed my story. Even if you don't review, your follows make me so happy. (I go up to my hubby with a huge grin on my face and tell him I got another follower and jump around like a little kid.) Okay enough rambling. I'm done.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Kagome stretched and decided to head up to bed herself. It had been a long week, and she was tired. She walked upstairs and got ready for bed. She laid down and was soon falling asleep.

Inuyasha sat in his tree, and watched Kagome laying peacefully in her sleep. He didn't think he really needed to watch her fall asleep anymore. The nightmares had been coming less and less. Last night she had only whimpered in her sleep. Before he could even get to her room she had turned over and sighed.

However, it seemed to be a part of his nightly routine, and he didn't think HE would be able to sleep until he was sure she'd be okay for the night. So he sat, feeling a little bit like a stalker, and watched her sleep.

When he figured she was in a deep enough sleep that the nightmares wouldn't come, he stood up to go back to his treehouse and get some sleep himself. Just as he was about to push off from the limb he was resting on his ears caught a sound. He froze.

It wasn't a loud sound. If he hadn't been a half-demon, he wouldn't have caught it. It was just the whisper of footsteps and the soft rattle of a door knob being turned. He turned around to see what was going on in his best friend's bedroom.

There was a shadow in the doorway of the room. He watched as the shadow walked to Kagome's bed. The shadow sat down next to Kagome and brushed her hair off of her face. He leaned down close to her ear. Inuyasha's ears picked up the faint whisper coming from the lips of the shadow. "I'm not going to let you keep me from my fortune. First I get rid of you, then I get rid of her."

Inuyasha's blood ran cold. He knew that voice! What was he talking about?

As Inuyasha watched, the shadow reached towards Kagome. His hands wrapped around Kagome's neck. Inuyasha didn't stand still any longer. He jumped from the tree to the window. He didn't even take the time to open it. He window broke into a thousand pieces.

Inuyasha ran to the man that was hurting Kagome. He tore his hands from her throat. "Get your hands off of her, you sick creep!" he yelled. Inuyasha flung the man against the door with a loud thud. The man struggled to get up. "Oh no you don't." Inuyasha punched the guy in the face. The guy slumped down again.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome who was watching this with her eyes wide open and gasping trying to get some air back into her lungs. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nodded still trying to fill her lungs.

"Good. I'm going to carry you to the door so you don't cut your feet on the glass. I want you to go downstairs and call 911. Tell them what happened and get them here as soon as you can. I'm going to stay here with this creep," he kicked the man's leg, "until they get here. I don't want him to wake up and get away. Stay downstairs and show the police up when they get here okay?"

Kagome nodded again and reached for Inuyasha as he lifted her up to carry her to the door. She called 911 and told them what happened. She waited for the police to come. She lead them upstairs to her room.

The police went in just as the man was starting to stir. Kagome watched as the man's hands were handcuffed. Her eyes couldn't stray as the police officer escorted her step-father away.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Inuyasha stood by Kagome while they answered all the questions the officers had for them. The police took pictures of the room and Kagome's neck. Kagome refused to go to the hospital stating she was just fine, thanks to Inuyasha.

When the officers finally finished up and left, it was well after midnight. Inuyasha took Kagome downstairs. "We can clean up in the morning. For now, you need to sleep."

Kagome let him lead her to the living room. She sat in the chair he placed her in and watched him make beds for the both of them. She was glad he set her bed right next to his. When the beds were ready he came and picked Kagome up. He sat down in the chair and set her on his lap.

She snuggled her head into his chest as he once again stroked her hair. Her eyes were dry as she sat with him. She was still in shock.

"I'm so glad you're safe. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," he crooned. "Close your eyes and go to sleep. I'll keep you safe."

As he spoke comforting words she started to feel her eyes get heavy. Slowly they began to close. Just as she was closing her eyes for the last time before sleep claimed her, she felt Inuyasha's lips brush her forehead.

Then next day Inuyasha cleaned the broken glass from Kagome's room. He refused to let her anywhere near the mess. He told her to find a glass company to fix the window instead. When things were taken care of in her room, Inuyasha and Kagome went to the treehouse and got Inuyasha's belongings. He would stay in the house with Kagome again. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Two weeks later Kagome's mom woke from the hospital. The officers were the ones to deliver the news about her husband. They told her she was lucky she and her daughter had both survived. When they had run his finger prints and DNA through the computers they found he was wanted not just in other states, but in other countries.

He had many names, but was born Onigumo. He changed his name every time he found a new victim. He prayed after lonely women who were traveling on singles cruises. When he found one that had enough money for his liking, he would woo and marry them. Something always happened to the wife shortly after the marriage, and he would inherit the fortune.

When Kagome's mom finally met Inuyasha and heard his story, she insisted he stay right where he was. He would not be homeless any longer, or living in some treehouse. He would just have to get over his issues with adult humans, because there was no way she would let him leave his new home.

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked my first story. I have already started working on a sequel. I literally just started today, so it will be a little bit before I post anything. Thank you to every one that has followed my story and/or reviewed.**

 **I'm putting this at the end because when I posted my first chapter I didn't know how everything really worked, and I don't want to delete anything. So... this story is dedicated to my wonderful friend/coworker (you know who you are) that read the story as I wrote it and kept me motivated writing. I don't think I could have done it if you hadn't come in every morning demanding the next chapter. :)**


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